Turnout for the March 2013 City of Los Angeles Primary Election was 20.8 percent of the registered voters. For the May runoff election turnout was 23.3 percent. The City

of Los Angeles (“City”)

has taken a number of actions to attempt to increase voter turnout in recent years, including the establishment of the Alternative Voting Methods Task Force which submitted its report to the Los Angeles City Council

(“City Council”)

on October 21, 2013. On October 22, 2013, the City Council recognized the need to take a more broad-based approach to increase civic engagement by creating the City of Los Angeles Municipal Elections Reform Commission

(“Commission”)

. This Commission is composed of nine members appointed respectively by the Mayor and the President of the City Council. Members have been directed to review various City laws for effectiveness, hold public hearings in different regions of the City, and recommend to the Mayor and City Council actions that might increase turnout and participation in municipal elections. Members of the Commission bring a variety of backgrounds and expertise to the task, including the following areas: elections, marketing, outreach, neighborhood council leadership, polling places, and event management. The members include Dr. Fernando Guerra (Chair), Jeffery Daar, Delia de la Vara, Kathay Feng, Rosalind Gold, Stephen Kaufman, June Lagmay, Larry Levine,and Dolores Spears. The Commission makes the following recommendations.

1

I.

RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CITY ELECTION DATES

The Commission makes the following recommendations regarding the dates on which the City’s

regular municipal elections are conducted:

1.

Primary Recommendation: June/November Even Year

The Commission recommends the City Charter be amended to move the dates of the City’s

regular primary and general municipal elections from the current schedule of March and May of

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All recommendations were approved on June 5, 2014, by the nine members of the Commission with a unanimous vote, except the Primary Recommendation: June/November Even Year, which was approved with a majority vote (Ayes: Commissioners de la Vara, Feng, Gold, Guerra, Kaufman, Spears. Nays: Commissioners Daar, Lagmay, Levine). Commissioner Gold submitted

Recommendation to Move Los Angeles City Elections to June/November of Even Years,

”

see

Attachment B. Commissioner

Daar submitted a Minority Report entitled “Minority Report in Support of a Weekend Election for City Elections in Odd Numbered Years,”

see

Attachment C.

iii odd numbered years to a new schedule of June and November of even numbered years, provided that: a.

The City’s municipal elections are consolidated together with the State primary

and general elections conducted by the County of Los Angeles

(“County”)

in June and November of even numbered years, and the City not consider conducting its municipal elections as concurrent elections conducted by the City on those same dates; b.

The City not change its municipal election dates to June and November of even numbered years unless and until the County has implemented a new voting system which can accommodate a ballot consolidated

with the City’s municipal

election, and that system is operational and has been tested; c.

The City conduct a study of the costs of conducting municipal elections in June and November of even numbered years consolidated with the State primary and general election conducted by the County, including a comparison of those election costs with the costs of conducting municipal elections under the current schedule; d.

The City conduct robust outreach for the elections in coordination with the County; and e.

The City should invest additional resources toward voter outreach.

2.

Alternate Recommendation: June/November Odd Year

If the City Council and Mayor do not determine to move municipal election dates to June and November of even numbered years, the Commission recommends as an alternative that the City

Charter be amended to move the dates of the City’s regular primary and general municipal

elections from the current schedule of March and May of odd numbered years to a new schedule of June and November of odd numbered years, and also extend the official canvass period from 21 days to 28 days.

3.

Second Alternate Recommendation: Spring Odd Year

If the City Council and Mayor do not determine to move municipal election dates to either June and November of even numbered years or June and November of odd numbered years, the Commission recommends as a second alternative that the City Charter be amended to extend the

time period between the City’s primary election and its general election and also extend the

The Commission makes the following recommendations regarding voter registration and maintenance of voter files: 1. Voter registration applications should be placed on all public counters where City employees interact with the public.